Something Has Shifted

I hope you’ve had a wonderful week. I’ve finally recovered from last week’s full moon andfeeling more clear than ever.

Something shifted inside of me last week. I felt pulled to work on a painting that I had not touched in a couple of months.

I remember that after working steadily on it for a week or so back in May, I suddenly hit a point where I had absolutely no idea on which direction to go with it (much like my coaching business).

A few weeks ago I was ready to trash it. Paint over it. Rescue it from my bad ideas and/or lack of creativity.

However, last Wednesday, I felt compelled to look at this painting again. I put on my easel, stepped back and tuned into it. I asked, “What do you need from me? How can I be of service in helping express the feeling you want to create?”

Call me crazy, but I have conversations with my paintings (and yes, I know I’m weird). They mostly happen inside my own head but you will occasionally hear me say something aloud to myself if you’re ever around when I’m working.

I love feeling tapped into the creative flow of universal energy. My paintings feel like entities coming through me and it’s joyfully effortless.

Other times, the muse isn’t with me. Everything feels forced and uninspired. I question myself. My inner critic comes out and takes me for a ride. Or a few rides. In fact,the past couple of months have felt like I’ve been on an intense road trip with my inner critic and we’ve been fighting over the wheel.

She’s been pretty mouthy lately. She gets to me sometimes, but I know she’s just trying to protect me.

It’s important to remember that any time you start to “play big” or take any sort of creative risk in your life, your inner critic will rear its ugly head. It’s guaranteed.

However, this is the work of art. It’s showing up consistently to do your creative work whether the muse is with you or not. It’s taking care of oneself and keeping your mind and energy clear so that you can tap into this flow as much as possible or maybe catch a wave.

After only a few seconds of tuning in, the painting spoke back to me for the first time in a long time: “More darkness. More alizarin crimson. More phthalo green. More indian yellow. More flake white.” I knew what the next right action was and I did it.

Why did it take a couple of months for the painting to speak to me? I’ve learned from one of my mentors, Gina DeVee, that you can’t force a flower to bloom by pulling open its petals. I needed to be patient.

Maybe this painting won’t speak to me again for another couple of months. Maybe we’re done.

Regardless of the future, in this present moment, I am viewing this painting with new eyes. A fresh perspective.

Whether it’s a relationship, a career opportunity, getting in shape, or any creative project, if something isn’t working, it’s usually best to stop pushing.

Let things unfold naturally and unhurried at their own pace. Take a step back. Put your focus on something else and let things germinate on their own for a while.

Getting back to this energetic shift I was feeling last week, not only did this painting open back up to me, but my coaching business did as well!

I’m bursting with new, exciting ideas that I can’t wait to share with you all. Stay tuned for big news coming soon…

If you’re ready to explore what your next right action is in your own life, I warmly invite you to book a FREE 30-Minute coaching session with me here.